Wednesday, 2 May 2007

She's A Sweetheart Away From The Camera Too!

Watching your daughter grow into adulthood is hard enough, but imagine if she made more money than you, was most recognisable in her undies, and had to issue statements claiming that she's "just friends" with major movie heart throbs?

Since Miranda Kerr was discovered in a Dolly model search 11 years ago, her dad John Kerr has stood in the shadows as she has gone on to become one of Australia's most successful international models, and these days, she's generating her own star power.

The first Australian Victoria's Secret "Angel" is at Australian Fashion Week, but due to an exclusive deal with Alex Perry her working week is over. Instead she's watching the shows from the front row — on Tuesday, she was spotted at Kirrily Johnston and Jayson Brunsdon.

After closing Monday's Alex Perry show, Miranda let the backstage snappers wait while she hugged her dad and had a quick catch up. After she moved off to face the cameras, I dashed over to talk to John, who was trying to keep out of the way as TV crews and well-wishers swarmed the dressing room.

John Kerr is a friendly, warm country bloke who kindly agreed to answer a couple of questions about his daughter.

So, what is it like to see your little girl transformed into a fashion siren?"It is a bit surreal," John said. "This is the first time I've seen her in a big fashion show, and I didn't even get inside!"Her mum is in there, I was lucky to even get backstage. I was trying to get in back here and they wouldn't have a bar of it, I was walking away when ‘Ran spotted me and basically flat-out said, 'if my dad doesn't get in I'm not doing it'."

John and wife Therese raised Miranda and her brother Matt in Gunnedah, near Tamworth in regional NSW.John says Miranda is well known in town — with a population of under 8000 it wouldn't take much for her to stand out! — but when she comes home, "she's just 'Ran. She's a ratbag".

"When we're in the city, or in public places like the airport people stand back and look at her open-mouthed."Sometimes if I ride on an escalator behind her and her mum I can see people going past asking each other: 'Is that her?'. I nod at them and say, 'Yep, it's Miranda," he beams.

It can't all be easy, though. How many 24-year-olds can afford their own $1 million apartment in New York, film videos with Kayne West and Pharrell, and fend off allegations that they're house hunting with Orlando Bloom?

"I always worry. But I just know she's so level headed, we can trust her, and she and her mum are more like girlfriends so she can talk to us about anything. She's really grounded, she appreciates it all and takes it in her stride, and treats everyone how she'd like to be treated."

Meeting Miranda later that night as she sits having a drink with her parents, it turns out John is right. It won't be long before we see even more of Miranda Kerr — she has irons in the fire — 'The Body' will have to hand that title over to a new generation very soon.